Roland Kirk, Drew Williams, Laura Anglade, Sullivan Fortner & Ben Rosenblum

We kick off the 937th Hour of Neon Jazz with a special moment in time—spotlighting a handful of New York City musicians who rolled through Kansas City for a live gig on December 2, 2025 at Epicycle Piano Craft. At the top of the hour, we feature the endlessly inventive pianist and accordionist Ben Rosenblum, drawing from his 2017 album Instead. From there, we shift into the warm, expressive voice of rising jazz vocal star Laura Anglade, spinning music from her pre-pandemic 2019 release I've Got Just About Everything. As the hour unfolds, we dive deep into the catalog with sounds from veterans and legends including Roland Kirk, Sullivan Fortner, Dave Mossing, and Carl Schultz. We also explore the outer edges of jazz influence with artists from other worlds who've dipped into the form—Flea of Red Hot Chili Peppers and pop icon Richard Marx both make inspired appearances. We then shine a light on Drew Williams, a former NYC musician now calling Kansas City home, with tracks from his brand-new 2025 album Demons Have Fresh Air. To close it all out, we lift the spirit with a dose of cosmic, spiritual jazz courtesy of The Cosmic Tones Research Trio. Settle in, open your ears, and dig the jazz, my friends.

Playlist

• Ben Rosenblum "And Then It's Gone" Instead (One Trick Dog) 0:00
• Host talks 6:03
• Laura Anglade "A Beautiful Friendship" I've Got Just About Everything (Justin Time Records) 7:44
• Flea "A Plea" Single (Nonesuch) 11:44
• Host talks 19:12
• Rahsaan Roland Kirk "Alfie" Seek and Listen Live at the Penthouse in Seattle September 1967 (Resonance Records) 19:59
• Drew Williams Trio "Atari" Demons Have Fresh Air (Wing Walker Music) 25:11
• Host talks 31:16
• Sullivan Fortner "Southern Nights" Southern Nights (Artwork Records) 32:26
• Dave Mossing "St. Olaf" Homesteaders (Bent River Records) 37:58
• Host talks 42:31
• Deborah Shulman "Between the Devil and the Deep Blue Sea" We Had a Moment {Summit Records) 43:02
• Carl Schultz "Unsettled Worlds" The Road to Trantor (Origin Records) 46:11
• Host talks 50:20
• Richard Marx "Magic Hour" After Hours (Richard Marx) 50:42
• Host talks 52:51
• The Cosmic Tones Research Trio "Spirit of Truth The Cosmic Tones Research Trio (Mississippi Records) 53:42